US Junior Amateur golf: New Jersey has one good, one bad, one disqualification

How the three former New Jersey high school standout golfers played on Day 1 of the 71st U.S. Junior Amateur at Baltusrol GC in Springfield, N.J.
Greg Mattura, Staff Writer, @gregmattura

Former Don Bosco star John Driscoll III eagled his final hole during the first day of the 71st U.S. Junior Amateur golf championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield on Monday, July 16.(Photo: GREG MATTURA/NORTHJERSEY.COM)

SPRINGFIELD – His debut at the U.S. Junior Amateur and John Driscoll III capped it with an eagle and fist pump.

The former New Jersey Boys champion eagled his 18th hole during Monday’s opening round of stroke-play qualifying at the 71st Junior Amateur Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club.

“Eagle on the last hole – those always help,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll, a former resident of Ridgewood in Bergen County and All-State selection at Don Bosco Prep, shot 4-over-par 74 on the Lower Course and said, “I played OK today.”

Driscoll is in contention to survive Tuesday’s second-round cut and advance to Wednesday’s opening round of 64-player match play. He is tied for 72nd in the 156-player field and had the best first day among three former New Jersey high school standouts.

Morristown’s Will O’Neill was disqualified after mistakenly signing for a score lower than his correct total. O’Neill, 18, who recently graduated from Morristown and is headed to Georgetown, shot 6-over 76 on the Lower Course but signed for a 75.

O'Neill had played well, and said prior to knowing he was disqualified, "I played pretty consistent, [hit] middle of the greens, and made a lot of two-putts for pars."

Westfield’s Sean Taylor shot 12-over 83 on the Upper Course and said, “I played pretty terribly out there but I enjoyed myself.” He is tied for 146th.

Driscoll earned his eagle on the 18th, a 556-par 5, to shoot 74. He hit a 4-iron from 245 yards with the intention of just reaching the front of the green. The he made a 15-foot eagle putt.

“I was just trying to land it on the green and hopefully release it back there and I executed it well,” said Driscoll, a rising senior at Lake Mary Prep in Florida who has committed to Northwestern. “Then I read a good putt and I made it. It was a nice way to finish. I felt good about it.”

Driscoll’s round also featured two birdies, but he also suffered four bogeys and two double-bogeys. So he was ecstatic about the eagle and looking forward to playing Tuesday on the par-71 Upper Course.

“I felt like I played better than I scored, and it was nice to finish up strong,” said Driscoll, who tees off Tuesday at 9:57 a.m. “And hopefully I can go out and shoot a good round [Tuesday], and I’m looking forward to it, and I feel like my game’s in a good place.”

Morristown's Will O'Neill was disqualified from the U.S. Junior Amateur after signing his scorecard for a score lower than the correct score at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield on Monday, July 16.(Photo: GREG MATTURA/NORTHJERSEY.COM)

Driscoll said of his plan for Tuesday on the Upper Course: "I'll review the yardage book tonight, and visualize and kind of think about how I want to play, but I think in these type of courses, you just have to play somewhat conservative, and when you get an opportunity, take advantage."

Taylor, who lives just a handful of miles from Baltusrol, was hurt by a poor start. The recent graduate of Westfield had bogeys on his first four holes and a double-bogey on the par-4 fifth. The incoming freshman at Rhode Island finished with one birdie, nine bogeys and two double-bogeys.

“Definitely not a good round, for sure,” said Taylor, 18, who tees off Tuesday at 9:33 a.m. “I just got off to a rough start, just couldn’t get it going, just wasn’t my day out there.”

Still, Taylor was upbeat. “I’m embracing this like it’s the last time I’ll play this event," he said. "It’s five minutes from my house. It’s as good as you’re going to get.”